Sustainably designed shoreside excursions do not just allow our guests to enjoy unforgettable experiences; they also contribute substantially to economic development, protection and promotion of the environment and cultural heritage and the preservation of the livelihoods of local populations. We sent a clear signal for sustainable tourism when we signed the UN-WTO Code of Ethics for Tourism in 2012.
This commitment also continues within the framework of the “sustainable shoreside excursions” project that we are implementing in collaboration with Futouris e.V. and the State Chancellery of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania as part of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region. The aim of this cooperation is to use the example of cruise ships in the Baltic Sea area to develop criteria for sustainability in shoreside excursions on cruises.
The first phase saw over 20,000 AIDA guests take part in an online guest questionnaire in a period of just three months. A third of guests said that they would prefer sustainable shoreside excursions. Guests considered the following of particular importance in this regard: Avoiding littering the destination country, protecting nature and biodiversity and reducing bus exhaust fumes.
In the second phase, we want to develop concrete assessment frameworks. To do this, we are preparing easily identifiable and measurable goals that can be evaluated with certainty. Every excursion is broken down into its individual components. Each component is then evaluated with a points system – the more sustainable it is, the more points it receives. That means that a bike trip will score higher than a sightseeing tour on a bus. But even on a bus trip, optimizing passenger numbers and using a newer bus can gain points back. Numerous other factors are evaluated positively in the development of the criteria, such as intensive nature and cultural events, regional delicacies made from local products and the use of certified guides for cultural and nature tours.
